Acceptance
by Giuliana
Summary: My response to what happened on March 7, 2000.


Pairing: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski  
  
Rating: PG for m/m affection. If slash ain't your cup of tea, walk on by.  
  
Spoilers: A teeny, tiny one for "Eclipse." This takes place after CotW with the boys back in Chicago.   
  
Disclaimer: They aren't mine, yadda, yadda, yadda.  
  
Notes: This is both my very first fanfic I've ever finished and my first story of any kind in nearly a year. After the events of March 7, 2000, I had a strong desire to write this and my muses wouldn't let me sleep until I'd finished it. It's sappier than I originally planned it to be, but I like it, and I hope you guys do too.   
  
Thanks to the lovely Kim for all her helpful comments and the title.   
  
Feedback will be very, very gratefully received at Antigone921@aol.com  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Acceptance"  
by Giuliana  
March 2000  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
Ray's noisy entrance into the apartment caused Fraser, who had been sitting on the couch polishing his uniform boots, to turn his head around sharply. Seeing the enraged look on his partner's face, he placed both the boot and cloth on the coffee table. "Ray, what's wrong?"  
  
Ray answered by walking over to the couch and bringing the newspaper he was carrying a scant three inches from Fraser's face. When he was able to focus his eyes, Fraser saw that it wasn't a local Chicago newspaper, but rather one called the _San Francisco Chronicle._   
  
Drawing the paper back, Ray angrily pointed at a headline that read 'Californians Pass Prop 22.' "_This_ is what's wrong."  
  
Fraser, confused, shook his head. "I'm sorry, I don't follow."  
  
Ray sighed and sat down on the couch, looking directly in front of himself, not at his lover. Fraser watched as the anger seemed to slowly drain from Ray's demeanor, only to be replaced with a deep sadness. "Proposition 22 was an initiative that some homophobic politician made because he found out his son was gay. It says that marriage in California is only recognized as that between a man and a woman."  
  
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that was already the law in all American states, including California."  
  
"Yeah, it is. But the proposition makes it just about impossible to ever make gay marriages legal in the state, and even if another state ever makes it legal, the marriage won't be recognized there. And some people think that by it passing it's gonna create a domino effect."   
  
Fraser nodded, beginning to fully understand why Ray was so upset. Taking his lover's slender left hand in his right, he gently touched the simple gold band that adorned Ray's ring finger and was a twin to his own. Fraser brought the hand to his lips, kissed it, and clasped it in both of his, bringing it to his chest. "Ray."   
  
Shaking himself, Ray turned and looked at his husband for the first time since sitting down.   
  
"Ray..." Fraser repeated.   
  
"I know what you're goin' to say, Frase: 'It's just a piece of paper.' You're right, it is. But what if somethin' happens and one of us has to go to the hospital. We're not legally married so if I get hurt ya can't even stay with me, and neither could I stay with you. It's not right that even though we love each other and have sworn to be together for the rest of our lives we wouldn't have any rights because we don't have a damn piece of paper."  
  
Fraser let go of Ray's hand and wrapped his arms around his partner, bringing the other man closer to his body. Ray responded by wrapping his own arms around the Mountie and resting his chin on Fraser's shoulder. He spoke again, quietly. "When me and Stella were married and I got shot, she was there 24 hours a day, nonstop--she wouldn't even leave to go eat. I wasn't that badly wounded originally, but I wasn't able to go directly to the hospital 'cause it was in the middle of a bust, and I lost a lot of blood. They...they weren't sure if I was going to make it. And the entire time, there she was, holding my hand, saying 'it was all going to be okay,' ya know, just being there. I know this sounds like a cliché, but I think that if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have made it."   
  
Ray paused and released himself from Fraser's embrace. Closing his eyes, Fraser waited both anxiously and nervously for his lover to continue.  
  
Then taking Fraser's face in his hands, Ray caressed the smooth skin under the cheekbones with his thumbs. At the tender action, Fraser opened his eyes and saw the tears that threatened to fall from Ray's.  
  
Speaking even more softly than he was before, Ray continued. "Ben, if something was to happen to me and you weren't there, I _know_ I wouldn't make it."  
  
"Ray--"   
  
"Don't 'Ray' me Fraser. I'm serious, you're my life line, much more than Stella ever was. I need you to be with me, always, especially in that kind of situation."  
  
"I need to be with you too. And I assure you, if, God forbid, something was to ever happen I would with all my power be there at your side."  
  
Ray smiled, tilting his head slightly to kiss Fraser's forehead. "I know. So would I," he whispered. "Even if I had to adopt ya or somethin'."  
  
"Actually, adopting me would not be possible being that--"  
  
"Ben?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Please shut up and kiss me."  
  
"Understood."   
  
The End.   
  
  



End file.
